RED AND BLACK REPORT 2024: EDITION NO.4
The Red and Black Report shines a spotlight on Canterbury Rugby League juniors featuring in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions.
Several Canterbury products featured in the fourth round of the NSWRL’s junior competitions – the SG Ball Cup (under-19s), Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s) and Tarsha Gale Cup (women’s under-18s) – and the third round of the QRL’s Cyril Connell Cup (under-16s).
A young Linwood forward stole the show as the Warriors’ Harold Matts side chalked up a milestone win.
NRL TRIALS
With Sydney Roosters’ top-liners heading to Las Vegas ahead of their Round 1 fixture, NSW Cup mainstay and Halswell product Joseph Taipari played a prominent role in the Tricolours’ NRL trial win over South Sydney.
Starting at halfback, Taipari ran for 114 metres, made 21 tackles, produced a try assist and kicked five goals in the Roosters’ 46-10 romp.
Aranui’s Daejarn Asi and Burnham Chevaliers junior Jazz Tevaga came off the bench for Parramatta and the Warriors, respectively, while Aranui junior and Kiwi Test winger Jamayne Isaako ran for a team-high 146 metres in the Dolphins’ trial loss at Mt Smart Stadium.
SG BALL CUP
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ SG Ball team suffered a 30-20 loss in Canberra on Sunday, but Linwood and St Thomas’ winger Chelden Hayward scored a try – latching onto a kick to finish off a brilliant long-range team movement – for the third consecutive week.
Hornby forward Sosaia Alatini came off the bench in the hard-fought defeat to the Raiders.
Papanui and St Thomas’ Jason Salalilo helped lay the front-row platform for the Warriors’ emphatic 44-14 victory over South Sydney at Redfern Oval.
Linwood Keas CRL premiership winner Te Kaio Cranwell made his third appearance for Newcastle Knights’ under-19s side, starting in the second-row in a nail-biting 16-14 comeback win over St George Illawarra Dragons.
Another Linwood product, Dakota Kakoi, featured in Parramatta’s centres for the fourth time but the Eels suffered their first defeat of 2024 – a 30-16 loss to Illawarra Steelers.
Watch highlights of the Bulldogs’, Warriors’, Knights’ and Eels’ matches HERE
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
Linwood’s Lennox Tuiloma produced a match-winning performance in the Warriors’ Harold Matthews Cup team’s historic first win.
A Canterbury 16s rep and NZSST selection as part of St Thomas’ title-winning team in 2023, Tuiloma scored a powerful try to level the scores at 16-all against South Sydney at Redfern Oval on Sunday.
The Rabbitohs looked to have secured victory with a late field goal, but Tuiloma carved through for a stunning 20-metre solo try on the buzzer to snatch a 22-17 result for the young Warriors.
TARSHA GALE CUP
After an outstanding display in Cronulla’s Round 3 loss to Canberra, Papanui second-rower Jaydika Tafua helped the Sharks to a remarkable come-from-behind 18-all draw with unbeaten Manly Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park on Sunday.
Watch highlights of the match from the three-minute mark HERE
CYRIL CONNELL CUP
After a tryscoring debut for in the Cyril Connell Cup under-16s competition the previous weekend, ex-Hornby and St Thomas’ outside back Donte Tahuhu-Wilson featured on the wing in Brisbane Tigers’ 18-16 loss to Souths Logan Magpies.
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